Fight Day: From a Girly-girl’s Perspective
Time after time I am asked what it’s like to fight. Many want to know what the feeling is on fight day, what the rituals are, what it’s like being in the ring, etc… Of course it’s an adrenaline rush and there’s a roller coaster of emotions, but there’s also a fun and light-hearted side to fight day as well. As a woman in a male dominated sport/profession, I try to inspire female empowerment and the idea that there is beauty in strength and strength in beauty. This is one of the main reasons I wear a skirt when I fight. Also because I am girly and because it is more feminine…ok and let’s be honest, it just feels super awesome when it twirls when I throw a combo! Back to the fun and light heartedness- Getting ready for fight day goes beyond the physical training and preparation. It’s actually kind of like getting ready for prom. (Insert crickets chirping here) Yes, you read that correctly! Before I go any further, since i’m on the topic of girlyness and girl power, fellas here’s your disclaimer: this blog entry is dedicated (but definitely not limited) to the ladies of Elite Training Center…(and those of you who are still curious to see how a girly-girl can relate a fight to prom).
For a girl to look her best for Prom, there are a few key essentials: The make-up, the hair, and of course, the dress. It’s fun to put together the perfect look. The same goes for getting ready for a fight. As girls on prom, we go out of our way to make sure our hair is beautiful , our make up is flawless, and that our dress is perfect for this special evening. This trifecta of aesthetics certainly enhances the prom or in this case, fight experience. The hair is crucial and functional. It compliments your face and the cut of the dress. Like for prom, on fight day my hair has to be perfect. Functional- corn rows to ensure it does not come loose or get in my way during the fight. And let’s face it, no body every looked intimidating with pig tails. I also like to have different colors braided into it to accent or match or my skirt. Yes, I actually think about these things! This brings me to the next essential- the skirt. It’s like the perfect prom dress. It’s a reflection of you. Your style, your personality, your brand. It’s an expression of individuality in fabric form. Every girl searches for that special dress because It’s not every day that we get to get that dolled up and wear something like that, which is part of what makes prom so exciting. We get to wear the specialness of the evening. This is the same reason I never train in a fight skirt. Because when I put on that skirt it’s something special. It means it’s fight night and not just another day. To me, wearing shorts on fight night would be like wearing jeans and a t shirt to prom.
To tie it all together- if you look good, you feel good. And if you feel good, you’ll fight good…or have fun at prom. Either way, if you fight good you may end up with some make-up (shiners, bruises, lumps, etc), if you do you looked your best and earned it on that special night, if you don’t, you’ll wear a smile. Either way it will look flawless! So there you have it ladies (and brave gentlemen who continued to read), getting ready for fight is like getting ready for prom. A lot of preparation goes into it and it can be fun! …Minus cutting weight! For some, prom wasn’t or might not be so great. Each fight is the same in that it might not go your way. But the main thing these two “big dances” have in common is that they are both special events that mark monumental moments, lessons, and memories.
~Tiffany
